If You Could Only See Us Now
by iRideSaix
Summary: Best buds Isa and Lea swear they'll never part, but when they somehow end up in the future and witness how their Nobodies, Saïx and Axel, failed to hold on to that friendship, they'll have to reconsider. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1: The Fog

Oh, man! A new fanfic! =D Wow, it's been so long since I've started anything new. I've been submerged in an immense writer's block for like... almost a year now. I'm so glad it's finally over with!

Anyway, like I said, this is a new fanfic. I'm having to use the scenes from the games (Kingdom Hears: Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days for this chapter) so the story makes sense. So, please _please_ bear with me on that. Anyway, WATCH OUT FOR SPOILERS! Oh yeah, and the very first scene, Axel's dream, is the scene in Birth by Sleep where Isa and Lea are first introduced and meet Ventus. So, yeah.

I know how important it is, so I'll say it again: _**POSSIBLE SPOILERS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL!**_

**Disclaimer: **Also, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters, and all that jazz. I'm just a really big fan, happy to write fanfiction for you all (and myself ;D). So, now that all that's said and done, let's begin the journey and get this show on the road! =D

* * *

Chapter 1: The Fog

"_Oh, man," I say, crossing my arms as Isa and I walk down the street. "I wish everyday were like this…"_

"_Hm," Isa says in reply. Just like him not to say much. Before I can continue, though, he interrupts me. "…You mean, a day where you actually get some work done?"_

"_Wha—? Nah." And even when he does say something, it's usually some smart-ass remark. Hmph. "I mean a day where it's just you and I, you know? Hangin' out like this on such a sunny day. Got it memorized?" I give him my legendary catch phrase, flashing him my legendary smile._

"_Yeah, whatever."_

_I frown at his _obviously overwhelming interest_ in what I have to say, but another smile spreads across my face when he grins back at me. I laugh._

_He and I turn the corner and, as we walk on, a random sword-thing tumbles to my feet. "Hm?" I bend down, pick it up, and play with it in my hand. I look up from the sword to see a blonde guy sitting against the wall. "This yours?" I ask the stranger._

_The guy nods._

"_Lea," says Isa, "we don't have time for this."_

_Too bad. "Lighten up, Isa. It'll only take a sec." It's important, yeah, but it can wait. Walking over to the owner of the sword, I wave the thing around, saying, "You still play with toy swords? That's cute."_

_I point his sword in his face and the guy grunts. Ignoring him, I toss his blade on the ground and whip out my own special weapons._

"_Now this right here—" I say, rummaging for them in my pockets. "Tada! Whaddaya think?"_

"_Not a whole lot," the guy replies. Hmph, whatever._

"_You're just jealous," I say. "I'm Lea. Got it memorized? What's your name?"_

"_Ventus," he says. Alright, then._

"_Okay, Ventus. Let's fight!" Like I said before, it can wait._

"_Fight?" he asks. "Why would I wanna do that?"_

_Resistance? No matter for me. "You scared of losing? C'mon." I bounce back, getting ready to kick some ass. "Hope you're ready."_

_He looks at me for a quick second before looking down and back up again. This time, he _is_ ready._

"_Yeah! Now we're talkin'."_

"_You're gonna be sorry," he says, preparing himself for our fight. Now, that's what I like to hear._

_I fall back on my butt, totally out of breath. Man, Ventus is seriously good. "You… had enough?" I ask, clearly panting. "'Cause I'm willing to call it a draw if you are."_

"_Huh?" He smiles and laughs. "Right…"_

"_From where I stood," Isa says, walking towards Ventus and me, "the only thing you drew was a big L on your forehead for 'Loser,' 'Lame,' 'Laughable' …"_

"_Wha—" What a dick he can be. "Isn't this the part where ya… cheer me up or somethin'?" I mean, seriously! Talk about a supportive bud, Isa. "'You're just havin' a bad day' or… 'That's what you get for pullin' your punches!'" I groan. "Some friend."_

"_Oh," Isa replies, "you mean I was supposed to lie."_

_Hm. I look down, and, more to myself than anyone, I ask, "You see what I gotta put up with?" I fall back, resting my head on my arms. "Sure hope you don't have friends like him," I say, addressing Ventus. I grin._

"…_Unh?" Ventus says, but he laughs. Isa and I join him in laughing, too._

"_Lea," Isa says, still focused way more than I, "we have to go."_

"'_Kay."_

_Isa turns and starts off._

"_Already?" Ventus asks as I get up from the ground._

"_I'll see ya when I see ya. After all, we're friends now." Can't forget this. "Get it memorized." And that's an order, heh._

"_Okay, Lea," replies Ventus._

"_What is it with you and picking up stray puppies?" Isa asks me as I finally come up to him._

_Ha, the answer's simple. "I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people's memories, I can live forever." And I mean it. I really do._

"_I know I won't forget you." Just like Isa to say the best things—except I say the _very_ best stuff, of course. "Believe me, I try all the time." This guy's sarcasm…_

"_See, I'm immortal!" I say, looking him straight in the eyes, beaming nonetheless._

"_You're obnoxious." He smirks and looks up._

"_You ready?" I ask. He'll never forget me._

"_Well, I can tell you are."  
_

_Yeah." He and I will best buds—'til the end!_

_

* * *

_

It seemed to end just as quickly as it had begun—the dream, but maybe something else did, too.

"Ugh," Axel groaned as the last remnants of sleep faded into complete consciousness, and he became all too aware of how quiet and lonely his room seemed, of how clouded his mind felt. _"Too much work to be done,"_ he thought, slowly rising up from his bed. But even with those thoughts, nothing was changed.

He and Saïx still had a goal to accomplish, something that could not be shoved to the side and picked back up again at their leisure. No, it had to be done, and, day by day, despite how far they still had to go, they became closer and closer to the prize. The pieces had been steadily lining up, and, sometimes, it seemed as if things were just waiting to be put together for the benefit of the old friends. Axel and Saïx would arrive there, one day. Now, however, there was work to be done, missions to do.

"Wonder what's up for today…" Axel said to himself as he zipped up his Organization coat and headed off to the Grey Room to be assigned his work for the day. When he arrived at his destination, however, there was a note on the glass window on the other side of the room. Number IX, Demyx, was standing in front of it.

"Heya, Dem," Axel said coolly, coming up to his fellow Nobody.

"Oh, hi, Axel," Demyx replied happily. A bit _too_ happily, if anything. "Kick-ass morning we're having, right?" He flashed the redhead a thumbs-up and a goofy smile.

"Yeah… sure. So anyway," said Axel, turning towards the paper taped to the wall, "what's this say?"

"'All members should immediately report to the Round Room for an important meeting,'" Demyx read aloud. "You know what this means, right, man?"

"Dunno," Axel said, shrugging. He crossed his arms and placed a hand on his forehead in a bad attempt to rid his head of the fog.

"Hey, you feeling alright?" Demyx asked, noticing Number XIII's unusually subdued behavior that morning.

"Eh, I'll be fine," he said. He didn't think he'd be fine, though. His head was still clogged up with… He didn't know what it was, but he just didn't feel like himself. And, along with that, he felt a bit of apprehension, as if it were hovering above his spiky-haired head like a cloud of doom.

"Oh, um… Sorry." Demyx sighed empathetically before his jovial mood returned. "Anyway, like I was saying, this means no missions today! Isn't that, like, totally freakin' awesome? We haven't had a vacation in _so_ long. Good gosh, I've been feeling like I was gonna keel over and _die_ or something if we didn't have a break soon."

"Tell me about it," Axel said. His eyes fell back to the paper on the glass window once more, and he noticed tiny words at the very bottom of the page. "Hey, it says something else—at the bottom."

"Something else?" Demyx tore the sheet from the wall and held the page closely to hid face. "Ah, I see what you're talking ab—aw, crap!" Demyx moaned, the happiness sapped away from his bright eyes. "It says here that 'the meeting will be over fairly quickly' and that 'all members will depart for their missions after dismissal from said meeting.'"

"Yeah…" Axel said, not really paying attention. "I'm gonna head out to the Round Room. You should probably come now, too."

However, Demyx wasn't listening; he was too busy being crushed by false hopes. Axel sighed and yanked Demyx off of the floor where he had collapsed in a fit of disparity.

* * *

The meeting had ended. The Organization had been introduced to another new member: Xion. Just a week prior, Roxas had become the thirteenth member.

Roxas, who was much smaller than the other members, entered the grey room after the meeting was over.

"Roxas, your work begins today," Saïx said, his generally superior demeanor evident, like always. "I will issue missions, which the Organization expects you to carry out."

The boy replied to Number VII with silence.

"Think of these early missions as exercises. You still have much to learn before we put you to a real test," Saïx went on.

And still, there was more silence from the young member.

Saïx turned to Axel who was leaned back against the wall, his head still clouded. "Axel will be joining you your first time out. Isn't that right, Axel?"

Axel got up from the wall. "Oh boy…" he moaned. "What, are you making me the kid's mentor now?"

Saïx turned to leave before saying, "Surely you don't mind showing Roxas here the ropes? Roxas, come see me when you're ready to go.

When the blue haired man left, Axel brightened up. The fog seemed to be disappearing. "Well, you heard the man. Starting today, I'm your babysitter."

Even more silence. Axel frowned. _"This kid's obviously not one for words…"_ Axel noted in his head. To Roxas, he said, "Sheesh… Quit acting like a zombie, and let's get this show on the road."

"Bravo. So whaddaya think? Got the hang of this mission business?" Axel asked Roxas, applauding the younger Nobody's performance. Said younger Nobody had just completed his first mission.

"Uh-huh," Roxas simply said, once again, saying very little.

"I'm sorry, speak up? Cooouldn't quite catch that," said Axel, trying to get more than one words answers out of the kid.

"I said…"

"Hmm?" _"Finally,"_ he thought.

"I could have done that blindfolded."

Axel laughed. "I dunno if I want a blindfolded zombie on the loose. All right, smart aleck," he said, an idea forming in his brain, "you did good. And no successful mission is complete without a little icing on the cake. C'mon." Axel walked on ahead, but Roxas stayed put.

"But… don't we have to RTC?" he asked.

The redhead turned to face Roxas. "Later. Don't you remember our hangout?"

The darkening sky was golden with the setting sun. On top of the Twilight Town clock tower, Numbers VIII and XIII sat, both members staring at the horizon.

"Here ya go," said Axel. He handed Roxas one of the two ice cream bars he held. "The icing on the cake."

Roxas took the ice cream, returning the gesture with his typical silence.

"You remember what this ice cream is called?" Axel asked after taking a bite out of the light blue treat.

"Umm…" Roxas could only draw a blank. He was still in the process of grasping all the information he was supposed to be learning. It was all so much to him that it would've been a miracle if he'd remembered such a simple little thing like the name of a type of ice cream.

"It's sea-salt ice cream," Axel answered. "C'mon, I already told you once. Get it memorized, man."

Roxas took a bite of the ice cream. "It's really salty… but sweet, too."

"Roxas, you said the same exact thing the other day," said Axel, laughing.

"I did?" Roxas asked. "I don't remember that." He barely remembered anything from the whole entire week—his first week of existence.

"Hey, what has it been, a week since you showed up?" Axel asked.

"Maybe," Roxas said. He had no clue.

"'Maybe'? C'mon, you must remember that much."

But Roxas didn't remember. Choosing not to say anything, the boy merely looked down at his ice cream.

"Well, that's okay," Axel said, shrugging it off. "Today's where it all really begins anyway."

Roxas lifted his head to look at Axel. "Yeah?" he inquired.

"Sure! Here you are, out in the field, working for the Organization… Today, you're one of us."

Roxas turned his head to the direction of the setting sun, and, before taking another bite of the sea-salt ice cream bar, he said, "I guess it's a start."

* * *

ROXAS

Seems like we're getting new members every day. No. XIII was a boy, Roxas. Now we've got a No. XIV, Xion. Today's mission was to show Roxas the ropes. I feel like they've had me babysitting him since he got here. He's not a bad kid, but he's spacey. Good fighter, though. At least I won't be bored.

I woke up with a headache of sorts this morning. My brain felt kind of loaded down and cluttered. When Saïx assigned me my mission with Roxas, though, the fog seemed to clear. By the end of the day, I had completely forgotten about it until Roxas and I finally RTC'd. Maybe I just needed a bit of fresh air.

* * *

So, that was fun, guys. I made a reference to something during Axel and Demyx's conversation, so I hope you guys caught that. Anyway, FYI, that last bit was taken from the Secret Reports of Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days. The title and first paragraph of the report I took, but I made up the second paragraph myself (if it, for some reason, was not blatantly obvious). I'll probably include the reports for the corresponding day at the end of the chapters to come. And I am SO sorry for stealing scenes straight from the games, but it would've bothered me if I hadn't gotten the actual scene. Hopefully, though, chapter 2 will have way more original scenes, and not stolen ones ^^

Anyway, thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to look out for chapter 2 and to review! =D Thanks, everyone and Merry Christmas! =D


	2. Chapter 2: Stranger in a Strange Place

Hi guys! I'm back with chapter two.

_**POSSIBLE SPOILERS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL!**_

**Disclaimer: **Also, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters, and all that jazz. I'm just a really big fan, happy to write fanfiction for you all (and myself ;D).

Um... With all that said, I really have nothing more to say so let's go on to the chapter! Enjoy~!

* * *

Chapter 2: Strangers in a Strange Place

_I walk into the Grey Room. I spot Isa over by the large glass wall, gazing up at the emptiness outside the Castle. I go over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder to bring him back to this new reality._

_I suppose, though, that this reality of ours is no longer new: it's been the same routine for just over two years now—the same exact thing since Isa and I lost our hearts to the darkness._

"_Heya," I greet. "Got your face stuck to the window again, I see."_

"_Hm?" Isa turns from the window to face me. "Oh. It's only you."_

_Only me? Ignoring him, I smile and say, "Good morning to you, too, Isa."_

_He flinches. "I'm not _Isa_ anymore. Lord Xemnas gave us different names, you know."_

_Whenever Isa says this to me (which is often, actually), he does so with his eyes to the floor. Today, however, bright yellow eyes stare straight into mine, trying to peer into my mind and swallow me whole. Whose eyes are those? Not yours, Isa._

"_What's the matter with you?" he asks, crossing his arms. "We go through this all the time." He sighs, shakes his head as if he's disappointed in me, and continues scolding me. "I don't know why you _choose_ to forget our names."_

_He knows. Well, it wasn't exactly hard to tell._

_I lift my eyes back up to his face, still not daring to meet his gaze. "So what if—"_

"_It's been two years, _Axel_," he interrupts, using this false name, and I know that he knows how much it's hurting me. "How long is it going to take to make you realize that our past is lost? All those memories you are forcing yourself to hold on to will do you no good now. Our lives before have ended a long time ago."_

_When did you get like this?_

"_Don't forget what our motives are," he says again._

"_Motives?" I ask. I can hear the bitterness in my own voice. "Who cares about that anymore? Those motives are what got us into this mess."_

"_Hmph." This monster finally turns away from me and looks up into the darkness we call a sky. "What do you suppose we do about it then?"_

_A sickening silence washes over us. After a while, the only thing I can utter is a simple, quiet, "What do you mean?"_

"_Don't be so dense. We can't alter the past. There's no changing what's happened to you and I. We were foolish and lost our hearts—that's where it all starts, isn't it? We are Nobodies now, Axel." He smirks. "Allow yourself to think what you may, but there's no changing the fact that we don't have hearts. You'd think after all this time, you'd have finally accepted it. I guess I was wrong about you."_

_Who are you? "What do you mean by that?" I ask. He's starting to tick me off._

_He lets his arms fall to his sides and turns to leave. "We have work to do, Axel. You'd best be on your way." He summons a corridor and enters it, finally leaving me alone in the Grey Room._

_Whoever he is, he's not Isa. Not anymore._

* * *

Axel awoke in his bed feeling every bit as tired as when he had laid his head down and drifted off to restlessness the night before.

After he got dressed, Axel walked over to the mirror on the wall and gazed into it. On the other side, staring back at him was someone who he had once refused to be. That someone—or rather, that Nobody—seemed so foreign to him. That long, spiked back red hair, those bright green eyes.

"My eyes… aren't green, are they?" he asked himself doubtfully. A sigh escaped his lips as reality burst through the door, flooded the room, and drowned him in it, dousing the supposedly eternal flame that was his spirit. _'Lea's aren't—weren't. Axel's are,'_ he thought sadly. _'_Mine _are.'_

Axel scratched his head, sighed once more, and headed off to the Grey Room.

"Our second mission together," Axel said after he and Roxas exited the dark corridor and arrived at Twilight Town.

"Yup," was the simple reply from the younger Nobody.

An awkward silence fell over them caused by Roxas's lack of long verbal responses.

Axel scratched his head. "Sheesh don't talk my ear off," he said sarcastically, breaking the silence. "…You ready or what?"

Roxas looked up at the redhead. "What? Oh… oh, yeah."

* * *

"So, got any plans?" Axel asked once he and Roxas had finished their mission together.

"I was just gonna report to Saïx and then go to my room like I always do."

Axel scratched his head. "Go to your room!" Axel asked incredulously. He shook his head. "Oh, Roxas, Roxas…" Before Axel could say anything more, however, a blonde boy probably about Roxas's age ran into the area and stopped in his tracks.

Turning around, he put his hands on his hips and yelled, "Move it, Pence!"

A brunette girl wearing an orange shirt and a chubby boy in red ran up to the blonde.

"Hey, wait up!" the chubby boy said, panting heavily with his back arched and his hands on his knees.

However, the blonde either ignored it or took no notice. "Last one there has to buy the winner an ice cream!" An ear-to-ear grin was plastered across his face because he knew he'd be the one to win.

The brunette shook her head, but she was smiling, as well. "Oh, sure, now you tell us!"

The chubby boy stood up to his full height, saying, "No fair, Hayner!"

Hayner, the blonde boy, laughed it off. "Better get flyin' if you don't wanna end up buyin'!" And with that, the three friends took off, Hayner, of course, in the lead.

Roxas watched them leave and asked, "Who were they?"

"Hmm… Must be some kids who live here," answered Axel.

"Really?" Roxas asked. "They sure acted weird."

Axel turned his gaze to the boy. "Yeah? How do you figure?"

Roxas turned to Axel and said, "Why did those last two seem to enjoy getting pushed around like that? They were even making those 'ha ha' noises."

Axel looked to where the three kids had left. "You mean laughter? Sometimes people with hearts do that even when it doesn't make any sense."

Roxas's eyes fell to the ground. He seemed somewhat disheartened. "Oh… Then I guess they're different from us."

Axel noticed the disappointed look on his partner's face. "C'mon, let's get some ice cream," he said, trying to cheer Roxas up.

"Why?"

Axel scratched his head, confused. "Whaddaya mean, why?" He laughed. "Because we're friends."

"So… friends are people who have ice cream together?"

Axel nodded. "Sort of… That, or laugh at stupid stuff that doesn't make any sense." He pointed in the direction of where Hayner and his friends had run off to. "Like those kids we just saw—they were friends." When Roxas didn't seem to show that he understood, Axel said, "C'mon, I'll show you how it works."

* * *

Atop the clocktower, the two friends sat, eating their soon-to-be usual sea-salt ice cream.

"Hey, Roxas. Let's meet up for ice cream again after your next mission. I mean, who wants to spend their days just bouncing between work, and the castle, right?"

Roxas laughed. "Not me." He then stopped, realizing something. "Hey, I laughed… I guess we really are friends."

_

* * *

_

He lays in my arms, unconscious. His body is

so cold_. I can't help but to fear for the worst._

"_Where am I?"_

_He's awake! "Isa!"_

_His eyelids slowly part, revealing black pupils and yellow irises. …Yellow? That's not right._

"_Wh… Where am I?" he asks again to no one in particular. He doesn't seem to see me._

"_Hey, buddy, I'm right here," I say, trying to get his attention._

"…_Who…?" he tries to ask, but instead coughs. _

"_You need some water?" I ask. Not waiting for an answer, I drag him over to the edge of a water fountain._

_I grimace. Blood has been spilled into the water. Can't drink from that._

_Before I turn away to find better shelter and cleaner water, I notice two bright green orbs reflected back to me through the murky water. …Eyes? Are they mine? I bend closer, slightly revolted by the faint smell of blood, and see that they really are mine. My eyes… aren't green, are they?_

_The screams of people grow louder. We've gotta get out of here._

"_Can you stand, buddy?" I ask Isa as I try to pull him up._

"_I… think so. …Listen."_

"_Huh?" I manage to pull him to his feet and we go on. I don't know where._

"_Are you… Lea?"_

_What? "Of course I am!"_

"_Oh… I mean, your eyes…"_

"_Yeah, I noticed. I don't know what's wrong. Your eyes have changed, too."_

_Isa doesn't say anything more for a while. Instead, our ears are filled with the sound of terror: fearful cries and other loud noises. People rush by, escaping the danger; those _things_ are everywhere._

"_We caused this… Didn't we?" Isa asks._

_Swallowing hard, I nod, remembering everything now. If only the memories had stayed forgotten._

"_It was stupid of us." His voice shakes. Tears stream down his face. I then realized that I, too, am crying._

_We're goners, and I know Isa knows it, too. Not only that, but the town is being wrecked. So many innocent people dying because of our foolishness. It hurts so much that I feel sick to my stomach._

_Out of no where, my back erupts with pain and my face meets the ground. Isa falls, too, unable to stand up without support. One of those monsters must have struck me down. It hurts too much for me to get up, and I know that Isa's in a lot of pain, as well._

_Wincing, I turn my head to face him. "We're not gonna make it, are we?"_

_He coughs, a little blood splattering the ground. "I… I don't think so."_

_Just then, a pair of feet enters my line of vision. I feel a hand roughly lift me from the ground. I don't know who or what it is. All I know is that I feel cold._

_My vision blurs, and I see a dark, portal-like thing appearing out of nowhere._

_Too cold._

_Goodbye, Isa. Please remember me._

* * *

ENTRY 4

Me and Axel went on a mission to Twilight Town. Afterwards, we went and had ice cream again up on the clock tower.

He said friends do stuff like that. Or they laugh together. So does that mean me and him are friends?

* * *

THIS KID?

Another mission with Roxas today. Is he seriously my responsibility? At least he's starting to talk like a normal person. Maybe that means his memory's coming back. Still, this kid's supposed to be the Keyblade master's Nobody? I don't see it.

On another note, I woke up this morning feeling weird again. It might have something to do with a dream I had that really bothers me. I barely remember anything from it, though. The only I can recall is Saïx pissing me off. Figures.

* * *

Well that was fun. ...And kind of depressing. Anyway, there's chapter two.

By the way "ENTRY 4" is Roxas's Diary entry for Day 14, titled "Entry 4" while "THIS KID?" is Axel's Secret Report for Day 14. I also took the scenes with Roxas and Axel in this chapter from Day 14 of the Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days game, FYI. I don't own anything, though.

Anyway, that's all I have to say. I've no clue when I'll write the next chapter, but I've got it planned out so be on the lookout for it.

Lastly, I wanna say thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed and all that stuff, and PLEASE read more and review some, too. Thanks again and Happy New Years~! Good luck in the year of the Marluxia.~


	3. Chapter 3: Delving Deeper

Oh maaan, sorry guys. I _totally_ meant to finish this chapter way earlier than I did... And Fanfiction kept giving me an error mesage while I tried to post it, so I've actually had this chapter done for a few days now... Well, anyway, here it is! Sorry for the wait!

And before we go on, I need to say two things: 1) I don't own anything besides the words in this specific order, the plot, and the characters for the most part, except Iridessa and Seyzel, and 2) All the italicized blocks of text like in this first part and later on in this chapter are Axel's dreams. OH! I lied-3 things. 3) I'll start replying to reviews at the beginning of each chapter starting with chapter 4, so please review a lot and get my fingers busy typing away! =D

_**POSSIBLE SPOILERS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL!**_

**Disclaimer: **Also, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters, and all that jazz. I'm just a really big fan, happy to write fanfiction for you all (and myself ;D).

Enjoy the chapter~!

* * *

Chapter 3: Delving Deeper

"_Man, first day of high school… It hasn't been too rough, though—thank goodness," I say, my hands on my hips._

_Seyzel frowns. "Ha, for _you_, it hasn't," he says._

"_What? Did you get bullied _already_?"_

_He nods, his glasses glinting in the sunlight. Seyzel has been my friend since the start of middle school, three years ago. I met him when I was on my way home one day and saw him getting picked on by these older kids. Naturally, I stepped up to the plate and saved his neck with my trusty weapons. After that, he practically groveled at my feet, begging me to be his bodyguard. I couldn't refuse, so ever since then, we've pretty much just been friends._

"_Who was it! I'll kick their asses!"_

_Seyzel just points to something or someone behind me just as a large, looming shadow falls on me. I feel hair fall onto my shoulders as someone puts their arms around me. Looking up, I see two turquoise eyes staring into mine. What the—!_

"_Iridessa, let go of me or I'll kick your ass!" I try to pull away, but it's not working._

"_Geez Louise, Lea, you really need to clean that potty mouth of yours." She pouts, her arms still wrapped around my torso. I try to escape from her grasp, but it's no use—she's just too strong. "Stop struggling."_

_My face feels really hot, and my heart won't stop pounding. "Stop being…so strong—and tall, too." She's nearly a head taller than I am, but only a year older. "Geez, are you even a girl?"_

_Iridessa tightens her hold on me. "What! That's so offensive. You're just short—and I have boobs, you know." Yeah, of course I know; they're pressed against my back.  
_

_I wince as Iridessa lifts up my shirt and places her hands on my chest._

"_W-what are you doing!" I gasp, my face burning. "Your hands… are really cold…"_

"_Your skin's burning up, Lea," she says and pauses. "…And your heart's beating really fast… Oh—!"_

_Suddenly, Iridessa lets go of me, and I fall to my knees._

"_Sorry…" she says._

_Huh? "Why'd you stop?" I ask, standing up. Wait—no. "I mean, it's not like I wanted…"_

_I look up to her, but she's turned in the other direction. I follow her gaze to someone walking this way._

"_Hey, what do you think you're doing to my sister?"_

_Sister? Oh, I see. Iridessa and this other guy look a lot alike. They've both got those turquoise eyes and that blue hair. The other guy finally comes up to us. Oh, and he's just as tall as Iridessa, too._

_The guy suddenly pushes me onto the ground. "I'll ask again—what do you think you're doing to my sister?"_

"_Huh? She was the one—"_

"_I know what I saw. You were obviously manipulating her. Iridessa would never do such a _vulgar_ thing." The iciness in this guy's eyes is terrifying._

"_Bullshit!" I turn to Iridessa. "C'mon, Iri-chan! Tell your brother I didn't do anything!" Why isn't she looking at me! "Tell him you just came out of nowhere and constricted me—auugh!"_

_Suddenly, I'm on the ground again with an aching jaw. I look up at Iridessa's brother. His fist is still raised and he looks absolutely livid. "You will _not_ spout such ridiculous lies about my sister," he says, practically growling. He grabs Iridessa's arm and pulls her away, leaving me on the ground and a bunch of onlookers disappointed that there was no fight. She didn't even look at me._

_Seyzel offers me a hand. I take it, glaring in the direction Iridessa and her brother went._

"_Waah!" Seyzel cries. "Lea, I'm sorry I couldn't save you! I'm not too good at fighting… And besides, that guy looked like the devil!"_

"_What? Eh, it's okay. He's not worth it."_

"_What was that all about anyway?" he asks._

"_No clue," I say, rubbing my jaw. "Huh, I never knew Iri-chan had a brother… Guy's got a seriously strong punch though."_

"_So, I'm guessing you already knew that girl."_

"_Yeah, I met her at the beginning of last summer. I wonder why he thought she was innocent. She was clearly sexually harassing me…" I can feel my face turning a little red again. "If anyone's manipulative, it's her."_

"_Hmm… Do you like her?" Seyzel casually asks._

"_Huh! Of course not! How do you even figure—?"_

"_Well, your face was red almost as red as your hair, and you almost looked like you were enjoying it."_

_Damn. I shrug. "…You got me."_

_Seyzel smiles, then his eyes widen. "Oh, wait! I remember those two from elementary school. The guy's name is… Augh, I can't remember, but it started with an "I." Anyway, his sister—Iridessa, was it?—was a year above him, but he was still with her every chance he got. He never let her out of his sight, you know? He wouldn't even let most people near her, and if someone he didn't like—he didn't like most people, mind you—even so much as looked in his sister's direction, he would glare them down."_

"_Wow… He's one touchy guy, then. We barely know each other, and I'm already on his bad side."_

"_Yeah, pretty much. Oh, and when she left for middle school, the guy was all alone 'cause he'd pretty much just drawn a circle around him and his sister that kept everyone else away from them. I wonder if he's got any friends now…"_

_I laugh. "Probably not with _that_ attitude."_

"_Well… maybe if we—"_

"_We are NOT making friends with him," I interrupt, already knowing what Seyzel has in mind. "We barely know each other and we're already enemies."_

"_But, think about it this way: it might be the only way for you to hang out with Iridessa if he keeps such tight security on her."_

_Huh… "Well, I guess you've got a good point." If I wanna continue my friendship with Iridessa, then I guess I've got no choice. I look up at the sky. "School's over for today, and I don't have any homework—thank goodness—so let's do this." I raise my fist and punch the air in front me. "Commence operation: Make Friends with the Bastard! We're gonna do it, Seyzel. Got it memorized?"_

_Seyzel and I are back in our normal outfits, sitting in the bushes in front of Iridessa's house._

"_So, tell me again: _why in the world are we in the bushes_?" Seyzel asks._

"_I told you, we have to 'assume an inconspicuous position.' I read it in a book before I came here."_

"_You obviously have the comprehension of a four year-old because I'm pretty sure there's nothing more _conspicuous_ than two people hiding in the bushes in front of someone else's house."_

_That's not Seyzel's voice. I look up to see Iridessa's brother looming over me. Seyzel screams._

"_Hey…buddy. How's it going?" I smile nervously._

_The guy yanks me up by my shirt._

"_Don't try and act innocent." He releases his hold on my shirt. "So, what? You here to apologize for earlier?"_

"_Apologize? You can't be serious! You freaking _punched_ me in the jaw—and it still hurts, by the way."_

"_Hmph, good," he says, smirking._

"_Psst, Lea."_

_I look down at Seyzel, who's still in the bushes. "Get out of there already!"_

"_Right… sorry." He steps closer to me and whispers, "Remember the plan. We're supposed to be making friends with him not provoking him."_

"_Ah, you're right!" I whisper, and then more loudly, I say, "This guy's stupid face made me forget."_

"_Lea!" Seyzel turns to the guy. "Sorry about my friend, here. He just doesn't know how to control his mouth sometimes. Anyway," he says and holds out his hand. "I'm Seyzel, and this guy's Lea."_

_The guy shakes Seyzel's hand. "Nice to meet you," he says, and even smiles. He looks even more like Iridessa when he doesn't look…mean. He then turns to me when I hold my hand out for him. "And I already know who you are; Iridessa talks about you a lot."_

_Yes! "She does!"_

_The guy's smile fades. "Unfortunately, and F.Y.I., I'm not shaking your hand so you go on ahead and put it down." He turns back to Seyzel, and his smile resumes its place on his face. "Anyway, I'm Isa. The girl your friend here so _rudely_ touched earlier is my sister, Iridessa. She's probably inside. Why don't you come in?" Isa walks towards his house, Seyzel and I following, and opens the door. Seyzel walks inside, but Isa slams the door in my face when I try to go in, too._

"_Wh-what the hell! Let me in, let me in!" I moan. This stupid idiot really gets on my nerves. Oh!_

_I run to the side of the house, dive into the bushes, and peer through the window right above me._

_Ah! Perfect view. Seyzel and Isa are in the kitchen, talking. Oh, and Iridessa's there! She's holding something… A tray, I think. Seyzel and Isa each take… a cookie from it. Yeah, it's a tray. Wait! No fair I want a cookie, especially if Iridessa made it…_

_I throw myself against the window. "LET ME IN."_

_Seyzel jumps, Iridessa nearly drops the tray, and Isa glares at me. He says something that I can't make out, walks to the window, and opens it._

"_What!" he asks, eyes gleaming with anger. "What do you want!"_

"_I just wanna get inside," I say and put my fingers on the window sill to climb in. Isa reaches up for the window to pull it back down. "Wait—don't—AAAUUGGH!"_

Axel stirred in his sleep, subconsciously feeling the pain in his fingers.

"_Oh, Lea, I'm sorry my brother smashed your fingers in the window," Iridessa says, holding ice to my fingers. She is sitting next to me while Seyzel and Isa sit on the other side of the room. Seyzel looks a bit nervous, but Isa has his arms crossed, looking infuriated._

"_I'm sorry, too," I say, and then I mumble, "Stupid bastard."_

"_Lea! What'd I tell you about cursing so much?"_

"_Sorry, but why should I have to control my tongue when I'm speaking the truth?"_

_Before I can fend myself, Isa's right next to me, ready to strike. However, Iridessa guards me from him._

"_Isa, stop it!"_

"_Don't protect him! He just insulted me, and don't forget about what he did earlier, either."_

_Iridessa sighs, obviously exasperated. "Look, guys, we seriously need to have a talk." She turns to me first and says, "Lea, I'm sorry I got you into this mess. My brother just doesn't understand some things he really needs to." She looks at her brother now, saying, "And, Isa, sweetie, I'm not the innocent little girl I used to be. I don't know what you thought you saw earlier, but Lea wasn't 'manipulating me' or whatever it was you said. I hugged him like that on purpose." She giggles a bit, looking at me. "Hee, I'm sorry, Lea, it's just that I really like hugging you 'cause your skin is so warm… It's like you've got a fire inside of you…"_

_I look away from her, and I can feel my face burning. Isa clears his throat._

"_Oh? Oh, sorry. …Anyway, Isa, I really did hug Lea on purpose. I'm just that kinda person, you know? I just don't mind touching people like that… Anyway, I'm older than you, Isa, so you can't go around acting like you own me or something. I appreciated it when we were younger, but now it's just plain annoying." Isa looks like his sister's words literally slapped him in the face, and Iridessa won't look him in the eye. "I'm really sorry, but I'm sixteen! I need my space…"_

_Isa looks so hurt right now, I almost feel sorry for the guy. "I… I see, but," he says, but then his expression completely changes. He glares at me, his eyes throwing daggers right through me. "But I still don't like this guy!"_

"_What!" I jump up next to him, so we're face-to-face—well, as close as we can get to being face-to-face because Isa's a whole head taller than I am. "What the hell did I do!"_

_Isa just continues to glare at me while Iridessa scolds me again for cursing. "Why the heck wouldn't I dislike my sister's boyfriend?" Isa asks. Wait…_

"_Boyfriend!" Iridessa and I both exclaim._

"_What? You're not…?"_

"_No, we aren't!" I say._

_Iridessa gets up from her seat and places a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Look, Isa, you've got it all wrong. First of all, Lea's not my boyfriend, and, like I said before, it was all me earlier… So please just stop being so overprotective."_

"_I'm sorry, I just don't want you to get hurt again like you did before," says Isa._

"_Huh? What happened before?" I ask, turning to Iridessa._

"_N-nothing happened before…" But I know something did. She's obviously lying to me. "Um… Anyway, Isa, you have no reason to hate Lea. Now make up with him while I go get the cookies."_

_When Iridessa leaves the room, I ask Isa, "What? What happened to her?"_

"_None of your business."_

"…"

"…"

_An awkward silence passes over us until Isa finally speaks up. "Look, I'm… sorry. And, just so you know, I'm only apologizing because my sister told me to. I still don't like you, and I probably never will."_

"_Your apology is accepted, but, for the record, I'm only accepting it because your sister would want me to. I still don't like you either, and I probably never will."_

"_Good. And I'll let you hang out with Iridessa… only if you promise to protect her."_

"_Now that, I will do. Let's shake on it." I hold my hand out for him, he takes it, and we shake just as Iridessa comes in the room with the tray of cookies._

"_I'm glad you guys made up," she says, smiling._

_Yeah, I guess we did make up… Sort of._

* * *

Axel and Roxas sat atop the clock tower eating ice cream after their mission together that day.

"I'm gonna miss this ice cream thing we do," Axel said, his gaze focused on the setting sun.

"Huh? Why?"

"Starting tomorrow, I'm gonna be away."

"Oh…" Roxas said, looking fairly disheartened by the news.

"Since you're my buddy, I guess I can fill you in," Axel said, taking his chances by telling Roxas the details. He went on, saying, "I'm gonna be at Castle Oblivion for a while."

"What's that?"

"The Organization's got a second castle situated in the world between worlds," he answered. "It's called Castle Oblivion. Got it memorized?"

"Yeah. I wish people told me these things."

Axel fell silent for a moment before rising to his feet. "Well, I gotta head back and get ready. Fun, fun, fun… Anyway, you take your time," he said, and then he left for the Castle.

Just after the last remnants of Axel's corridor of darkness melted into nonexistence, Roxas raised his cleaned off ice cream stick, having noticed the word "WINNER" printed on its side.

_

* * *

_

Axel's breath was hitched, he had but sliver of health left, and he was running. Fast.

"_Uh-oh!" A heartless that appeared out of nowhere flew at him. Chakrams in his sweating hands, he slashed at it, but it still had life to spare. Axel, on the other hand did not._

_Ignoring the heartless, he picked up the pace, his feet pounding much harder on the ground than they had been before. He had been sent on a mission to defeat an Orcus in a weird place called "Wonderland." Despite its pleasant name, the world was far from it, in Axel's opinion: yes, the scenery was pretty great, but he had long past forgotten its initial beauty. At first, he had been focused on defeating his enemy, but it had proved to be far too strong for him, who was still fairly weak for someone who had been a member of Organization XIII for over two years. Presently, however, he was completely bent on fleeing the battle, but the Orcus was extremely relentless and had been chasing him through the hedge maze. To make matters worse, he was lost._

_And to top it all off, he was on the verge of collapsing—he barely had any health left, he had used up all of his potions, and he had never been too good at casting Cure, let alone any other kind of magic besides Fire magic. The only thing keeping him going, he was certain, was the fear of dying. He had stopped caring about failing another mission much earlier, probably right after he realized he was lost in the maze._

'Gotta… keep… pushing…' Axel thought as he ran on, only to be halted by a tall hedge wall blocking his path. 'Crap… Dead en—aaugh!'_ Axel began to think, but his thoughts were interrupted by the Orcus' blade making contact with his back, and he fell to the ground, tears streaming down his fac. The breath had been knocked out of him, and his whole body ached. He willed himself to get back up and try with what little strength he had left to defend himself, but to no avail. '_Too much… pain.'

_This was it. He was done. _'They'll probably come looking for me since I won't RTC, but they're not gonna find me. I wonder what Isa would think…' _Axel grimaced at the pain and his foolish thinking. _'Isa wouldn't care. No… Isa would, but Saïx… Never gonna happen.'

_The Orcus' shadow fell on Axel, the Nobody's opponent ready to deal the final blow. Axel tensed, preparing for what lay beyond the gate of eternal sleep for those like him who had no hearts, and—_

"_GUARD!" sounded a deep voice from somewhere behind the Orcus, and a shining wall appeared between the Orcus and its helpless victim, protecting the latter from the sword. As the sword struck the barrier, however, the Orcus suddenly disappeared and Saïx was left in its place._

"_Good work, Number VII," the deep voice said again, and Axel recognized it as belonging to none other than Xemnas, his Superior._

"_Yes, thank you, Superior," said Saïx. "Although… I don't understand why the Orcus has turned into Axel."_

'_Saïx?' Axel thought, but his mind was too numbed and he began to drift into unconsciousness._

"_Ah, yes," Xemnas drawled. "I will explain, but first…" The Superior hovered over to Axel's limp body, picked the Nobody up, and quickly cast a Cure on him. Axel promptly regained consciousness, although his senses were still quite dulled._

"_Where…?" Axel's vision unclouded just as his mind did, and he exclaimed, his memories unforgotten, "Ack! The Orcus! Is this—! Am I—!_

"_Remain calm, Number XIII," said Xemnas, and Saïx let his claymore disappear as he listened obediently. Xemnas released his hold on Axel before addressing both of them, saying, "This mission was a test—mostly for you, Number VII, but you were observed, as well, Number VIII. You see," the Superior said, "the Orcus each of you saw was an illusion—in truth, you were battling each other and were being evaluated on your performance."_

"_And I suppose I passed?" Saïx asked._

"_Precisely."_

_Axel was reluctant to ask about his own performance, but he did so, anyway. "…What about me?"_

"_Compared to your opponent, your skills are below par. However, in any normal circumstance, your performance most likely would have been satisfactory."_

_Axel's shoulders slumped slightly at his rating, disappointed that he didn't do as well as the Superior hoped, but still incredibly relieved that his life spared and that he was never going to die in the first place._

"_Your mission is accomplished. I suggest you return to the castle at once." Once this was said, Xemnas opened a corridor of darkness and stepped inside before it closed in on itself, leaving Axel and Saïx alone._

"_Um… good job," Axel said awkwardly. His relationship with his old friend had recently begun to fade, and speaking to Saïx had just become… weird._

_Saïx simply nodded, which ticked Axel off a bit._

"_That's it?" the redhead asked. "Not even a 'thank you' or anything?"_

"_I don't see the point." He turned his head, and his piercing yellow eyes met Axel's. "You should be thanking me, really."_

"_What? For what!"_

"_For sparing your life."_

"_Sparing my…?" Axel felt a surge of anger he had not felt in a while. " Are you insane? You would've killed me had Xemnas not—"_

"Lord _Xemnas—" Saïx corrected._

"_Who cares! You're being ridiculous!" Axel stopped, his heart racing, his eyesight blurring from the anger. Then, in a much softer voice, he asked, "What's happened to you?"_

_Saïx sighed, seemingly a bit exasperated. "We've been over this before…"_

"_Yes, we have, but things are still just as… messed up as ever," said Axel, a hint of a plea in his tone and eyes._

_Axel opened his mouth to say something more, but Saïx acted first, instead, embracing the other Nobody. Axel was caught of guard by this, his arms still hanging at his sides._

_When Saïx spoke again, his voice was not much more than a whisper. "Do you want me to apologize?" he asked. "Apologize for simply carrying out my mission? You don't forget our purpose, and I won't forget our friendship. Lea." At this, he let go, turned around, and started to head for the corridor of darkness to RTC. "You're the weaker one, now," Saïx said, but Axel was too far away to hear._

* * *

ENTRY 6

Axel is going to some place called Castle Oblivion. He told me because we're friends. He had to go home early to get ready, and after he left I noticed the word WINNER on my ice cream stick. I wonder what I won… I'll ask him when I see him tomorrow.

* * *

Castle Oblivion

They pushed up the C.O. plan. Our little hero with the key must've made a move. Me and his Nobody have been meeting up for ice cream the last few days. Not the best conversationalist, but at least he's mastered a few facial expressions besides "doom" and "gloom." I told him about C.O., but he didn't seem to follow. Guess that's understandable.

I had another dream this morning. I remember Isa being there, but this time there were two others, I think. What were their names again? I feel like there was more to it than that, but I suppose it doesn't really matter. Not now.

* * *

Yay! That's it for this chapter. And FYI, the "Entry 6" thing is Roxas's diary entry for... Day 22, I believe, just as "Castle Oblivion" is Axel's entry for Day 22 in the Secret Reports, both for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Aaand, the random unitalicized bit in the middle of the chapter is the last scene (I think it's the end of it) for Day 22, also in 358/2 Days. So yeah... Just in case you were wondering.

Anyway, wow, this was a pretty long chapter for me. It was like... 10 pages on word where I originally wrote it. It's mostly because of that first dream, with Lea and Isa and those other two. By the way, I wrote that to show basically how Isa and Lea met (not the official way; I just made it up off the top of my head ^^;) and how they went on to become friends. ...Well, actually, I didn't tell how they became friends, but it's pretty much implied. And I hope Iridessa, Isa's OC older sister wasn't too much of a Mary Sue. I tried to make her not one, but I dunno if it worked. And even if she is a Mary Sue, I'm not sure if she'll turn up again in this story like... more than once or twice more, so she's not too important. Neither is Seyzel, for that matter.

Mmm... Lastly, I hope that no one's bothered by all the dreamed memories of Isa and Lea. The plot will happen soon! I promise (hopefully)! I'm pretty sure next chapter is when Isa and Lea are actually introduced in their own time (as in not in Axel's dreams), so there won't be much more italicizedness and dreams and the sort. Maybe.

Yeah, so that's all I think. Oh, and like I said at the author's note in the beginning of this chapter before things got started, I will probably be replying to reviews at the beginning of each chapter starting next chapter, so keep those reviews coming, please (it's the only way I know people actually wanna read my story... besides Story Alerts, but still... I need the feedback =D)! So yes, please review and read! Thank you, thank you, thank you, EVERYONE! I love you, guys! See ya next chapter (hopefully it won't take 3 months again... or a whole year in the case of my other KH fic XD)!


End file.
